Hail and Fungi at 9300’
Aug 5 2005

A good way to begin a hike. This looks like Floccularia straminea.
Lots of yellow fungi out right now—an adaptation or coincidence?

It looks like rain enjoys hiking this trail too.

This Mugwort (Artemisia ludoviciana) is a pleasant find. I collected
some to dry and grind into an incense.

This large boulder is a characteristically layered and swirly
example of gneiss—metamorphosed granite.

What a great time of year for wildflowers, thanks in part to the
rain we’ve gotten so far. It has rained (and hailed) for seven days in a
row! Hopefully today will be different—at least while I’m on trail.

Notice how the sky matched the color of this “paper.” I love these
squat, gnarled Sierra Junipers. They only get better as I ascend.

Up here at 9300 feet, the bedrock fractures in neat patterns,
partially due to freeze/thaw dynamics.

I’m hiking on a 4x4 trail. I’m amazed that vehicles can traverse the
obstacles I had to climb over on this trail. I like how red the soil
becomes.

Dog Vomit Slime Mold (Fuligo septica). A younger specimen
than I usually encounter, it hasn’t hardened into a dry, powdery spore
mass yet. As it spreads, notice how it engulfs the items around it.

Monolithic. Yet not made of stone. A monument to a past fire.

A species of Agaricus, I think. I feel naked without my fungus
books...stop looking!

I’m very glad I decided to pack my raincoat. Thunder and lightning
rapidly overtook the summit that I was perched upon. Judging by the ¼ to
½ a second that elapsed between Boom! and Zap!, I estimate that the
lightning was between 180 and 360 feet away at times. Right on top of
me! Luckily, I wasn’t the tallest thing around. The tree I was taking
refuge under was. Yay! I did meet a nice couple that was fjording the
stream...i mean trail...in their Jeep. Nice hail.

Yep—it was nice of the US Forest Service to cut a trail to ease the
rain’s journey to the arroyos below...

Me wet (but happy)...

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